Suche:back on track

As we gradually build toward the release of Rebekah's debut album on Soma, the hard hitting DJ/producer drops her 3rd single in the shape of the Code Black EP. Rebekah is on somewhat of a frenzied run of form at the moment with not only an exhaustive touring schedule but a slew of releases that stand as a testament to her dedication to Techno.

Title track Code Black hits the ground running with ice cold percussion and thunderous kicks running the show before a more jacking vibe is introduced backed by some seriously perilous pads. Disaster looms even more as Relapse Paradigm tears in next with clunking beats and straight percussive workouts as screeching synths and hooks give an overall foreboding atmosphere. X Confessions closes out the EP in no less vicious terms and Rebekah sets out on the warpath utilising pulsing rhythms and calamity inducing sequences to really rip into the dance floor.

After 3am Recordings' return to 12' in March 2016, which straight into the Juno Deep House Top 10, it's time for label boss Al Bradley to unleash his own 12". The original of Night Owl has been working like a charm - a deep & bass-heavy affair, coming on like Franck Roger or Djebali wearing their slightly more chunky-vibed studio hats (or something.....). Pressed For Time main dude Goshawk, tweaks his remix taking the cue from the original bass into key-led deepness, with added percussion elements & warm vibes ago-go. Fellow 3am geezer Michael Scott takes a real diversion & strips things right back in freaky trippy minimal style, reworking the vibe of the track completely. Closing the 12", fourfourfour heads into Berlin electronic territory, shifting the focus to the main percussive section & coming out with a massively powerful yet stripped back beast of a remix. Serious damage incoming....

Superfreq kicks off the New Year with Stand Up, the first single of three from Mr.C's forthcoming album Incidents. How Mr.C has found time to present an acid masterclass while touring the world, throwing events & running a label is testament to his passion. Stand Up is a politically motivated rebellious song that takes issue with the way nightclubs the world over have been closed down due to the financial greed of property developers at the expense of our beloved dance music community. This track is a call for the dance music community to stand up & unite against the continued aggressive affront on electronic dance music culture.
From Mr.C's electro, ska & acid inspired radio mix, to his Club Dub, to Jay Haze's slow acid house, to Tripwire's modern take on acid, to Omid 16B's retro acid house, the single really does show why acid house is back with a vengeance with Superfreq leading the field.

End of February will see Luciano continue his newly launched Basaec imprint with 'Saved & Slaved', a two-track release featuring collaboration with Argenis Brito. Swiss-Chilean producer and DJ Luciano has been at the forefront of underground electronic music for quite some time now, heading up the infamous Cadenza imprint and releasing material for some of the industry's leading labels such as Perlon, Desolat, Cocoon and Poker Flat amongst many others. Here we see Luciano back on his recently launched Basaec label, delivering some of his signature stripped-back, dynamic and emotive material 'Lost In Lymbo' takes the lead and sees Luciano offer up a typically intricate twelve-minute excursion with subtly modulating and evolving percussion, spiralling synth swells, sporadic vocal chants and a smoothly unfolding aesthetic resulting in an archetypal and intriguing production from this forever forward-thinking artist. The latter half sees Luciano paired with fellow Cadenza artist Argenis for 'Pato's Track', stripping back the vibe to a raw cowbell and rim shot percussive-led state whilst lumpy subs, vocal murmurs and subtly unfolding flute like melodies ebb and flow throughout the composition.

We're back from hibernation after releasing the third Roundup at the end of 2016 and we're starting off with a new signing. Milan based Parker Madicine joins Heist with some high tech funk with a serious nod to the 'D' and we've got Byron the Aquarius delivering a great jazzy remix. You'll be more likely to find Parker Madicine browsing through boxes of old jazz and soul records than you'll see him showcasing his social media skills. He's a real vinyl junky and moreover a hip hop fanatic and probably loves his synthesizers more than his mother. Apart from promoting funk and soul oriented parties in Milan, he founded CT-HI records, short for 'Contemporary Theories of Hip Hop Influences". A few years back he teamed up a.o. with his buddies Veez-O and Turbojazz to create some Dilla and early 90's inspired hip hop and these influences are clearly present in his EP for Heist. With Heartbreaker, he lays down a dreamy but heavy groove for the first minute or so, arpeggiating its way to the moment where the airy pads make room for a looser than loose groove where synth stabs and bass line dance around each other creating a killer vibe. Zawinul starts in the same manner, rough kick, loose and degraded hi-hats and dreamy Rhodes chords. The tracks build further with some lovely brassy hits and arps, whereas Placebo is the most stripped back but high tempo track, where an airy and delayed bassline does most of the work to set the mood. We're really happy to have Byron the Aquarius reworking one of PM's tracks.

180grams, Hand - stamped, Silver Grey Vinyl

RUIS is back after a year with the Spanish artist Baraso on RUIS008. After putting out several tracks on Park & Ride over the last few years it's now time for his first solo EP. Expect stripped minimal, techno and broken grooves for the dancefloor.

Justin Zerbst is back on Eklo with his 2nd ep, 2 unreleased tracks from 98. Deep & Fast for a classy journey. Essential 12

A regular contributor to Figure SPC, it was Jeroen Search who both started the series and also put an end to its story. With this creative chapter neatly closed, he is now bringing his ever-impressive work back to the main label. Across the EP the Dutch artist doesn't stick to one style, instead he lets his infamous machines roam about freely. They take us for a smooth ride along swaying dub chords and gentle ripples until bellowing eches slowly rise above a hypnotic groove.On the B-side Search then pulls out all the stops and barges right in with fidgety claps and whirling bleeps, leaving the track itself gasping for air. This is the renowned ferocity of his live act - carved into wax! Ensuing the sonic assault, a simple synth figure emerges stoically over an almost housy bounce as nostalgic rave strings bring the EP to an epic ending. Firmly rooted in the past while always looking forward, Jeroen Search clearly is still on the top of his game. He simply keeps coming up with timeless techno - time and time again.

Orbis X is a sublabel of Orbis Records and will be mainly focusing on softer yet often usable as DJ material for the broader mass interested in Electronic music. This sublabel is an extension of Orbis Records softer, more melodical and experimental side. Music will be ranging from house, dub, chicago over melodic acid and even breaks. Not any track makes it to this sublabel if it can't stand on its own and stand the test of time!

Aleksander Zekovski might not ring a bell but it should ring a bell within a few months.
We warmly welcome Moda on OrbisX with his very special and pure analog feel to sound.
Unique, funky, very good arrangements and multi-talented. Nothing more, nothing less.
Someone who deserves to be discovered or at least get a bigger audience.

We re taking the leap of faith with Moda, serving him a full EP to experiment.
The Roots EP was born.
The full EP is a mixture of funky beats with some housy touches with, in some phases, gentle and experimental dirty glitches.
Something to add to your collection. This EP can be played in quirky eclectic DJ sets, lounge bars or just at home with a nice glass of red wine.
Background music while having dinner with friends and you want to serve something special This is one of those special EP s!


Something To Talk About is funky, dreamy and sparks that twitchy leg movement when you doubt if you should be dancing or be slightly head banging to that tune.
That kinda track. Serves well with candles, wine and late night talks.

Under Her Skin might take off on a weird bit quirky dirty start, but when that lead kicks in, ... we were sold.
Extremely funky. Be aware: you can t hold yourself from clapping to this song.

On the B-side, "Winter Tale" counts as the second A track on the EP. Deep! Gentle and yet so snappy in it's own dirty way.
We fell in love from the first note, or should we say that filthy deep baseline, those dirty well mixed-in toms and snappy rude claps!

"Running Man". Well... if you like dreamy catchy house. This is for you.
A nice extra track, making this EP a brilliant pressing.

We can't emphasize the talent Alexander has.
We hope he gets more attention with this EP.
Full support for you Alex.

- mau

White Material crew's Galcher Lustwerk and Alvin Aronson return under the guise of Studio OST with a 4-track EP of live jams on Lustwerk Music. While the pair's critically acclaimed 2016 debut 'Scenes (2012-2015)' leaned towards home listening, 'Eventide / Ascension' shifts the focus back to the dancefloor with two chugging cinematic house tracks. 'Eventide' is an evolving nebula of fluttering pads and lush percussion, while 'Ascension''s hot-electric drums are complimented by sharp synth chords that unfurl into controlled chaos. A beatless version of 'Eventide' and a drums only version of 'Ascension' sweeten the deal.

Shelter is one Alan Briand, a young Parisian producer with a strong melodic centre producing a sound that pulls on the Zouk, the Afro, the Balearic and the Ambient palette. Zon Zon Zon is only his fifth release and his first mini album, following the series on International Feel that has brought us material from Len Leise, Wolf Muller and CFCF.

International Feel first met Shelter on a trip to Paris a few years back. It sounds like a story from a Nick Hornby novel, but there's a record shop in Paris called L'International Records, run by a guy called Dave who has a group of young French DJs, producers and promoters that visit the store, hang out and buy and listen to music - a story no doubt currently being repeated throughout the world as new generations immerse themselves in the culture. Shelter is a producer who has sucked up all that he has been hearing around him for a number of years and is now producing a quality sound, pulling on the exotic.

The seven tracks on this mini-album are taken from an extensive pool of Shelter's melodic magic. Some people lead on the beats, some on the production, but Alan focuses on the melody, with the beat closely tied in as support. Señor Zalla starts the album with an afro vibe, closely followed by the Zouk-style of Zon Zon Zon and Port-au-Cœur's mellow Balearic tones, as Shelter twists nature's sounds into his own sonic world. Bucolica, an upbeat wonder of a track, turns to the ambient mantra of Courant Rouge and it's distant cousin Courant Bleu, a classic rhythmic balearic piece with syncopated melody and delayed drums. La Volière (the French can make even bird cage sound beautiful) brings the album to a close with a smile in the mind's eye.


Zon Zon Zon is universal. It could easily have been created in Ibiza or Canada, Australia or Africa. It was in fact recorded at Paris 11, where Shelter forged beauty through the sounds of nature and uncovers a wisdom in its simplicity. We can expect good things from Alan. Here's the first chapter.

Fresh off of a pair of well-received EPs on his recently-launched Manhigh imprint, Berlin's highly respected techno auteur Henning Baer makes his first appearance on Nonplus with 4 excellently crafted, saturated machine techno tracks on The Idea of Instinct. Following on feelings suggested in the title, the EP opens with a pair of more contemplative pieces: the title track's spare arrangement puts mechanical rhythmic drive behind its exploration of dusky electronic atmospheres, while the feeling of 'DNA' is both brighter and slightly pacier, its hypnosis deriving from the pads and synthesizer sequences that circle the drums. 'CCC II' takes a darker approach to a similar idea, this time with the suggestion of polyrhythms in the distant and heavily-treated percussive elements circling in the background behind uneasy ambience. It builds to the closer 'Spiritual Quest', where overlaid rhythms in 3 and 4 are not easily reducible and create the tension at the track's centre driving it to its conclusion.

Following the massive success of Another night Stepart is back on Stand High Records with his debut LP Playground takes listeners on a deep bass journey and presents exclusive tracks crafted with the Parisian producer's subtle mixing technique and attention to detail. Recorded between 2014 and 2016 the LP is a tribute to the golden era of dub influenced dubstep with ten instrumental tracks as well as a vocal by Pupajim. Playing with styles, Stepart elegantly breaks the rules and invites you to settle in his Lost World Studio.

Fifth Interval gather together some of the most forward thinking minds in the dub techno sphere for this various artists EP. Those already acquainted with the label will be familiar with the likes of Federsen and Tomas Rubeck, who headed up the first and second releases respectively. They are joined by dub techno luminary Brendon Moller, aka Beat Pharmacy and Alessandro Crimi, for this four tracker of perfectly contrasting arrangements.
Federsen opens the proceedings with the sunset sequence of Bay Blues, cascading keys rolling through the gaps in a subtly broken drum arrangement, making for effortless and captivating listening. Beat Pharmacy contributes his first original material to the label after a brace of remixes last year. Showing true mastery of the board, chromed chord stabs are pushed and pulled around the mix in true dubwise style, drifting over a malleable bassline that packs a serious punch.
On the flip side, Tomas Rubeck crafts a tightly woven backdrop of constantly evolving, organic atmospherics and powerful drum work for IO, and this muscular workout is perfectly contrasted by the swung grooves and kaleidoscopic synthesis of Alessandro Crimi's Fractal Clouds, which closes the EP.

Ron Bacardi joins RNT with a 4-track inferno of disco edit heat! The A-side races out of the gate with the galloping 'Back For More,' followed by the soulful bounce of 'Circles,' which loops a gritty guitar-driven hook to perfection. The B side kicks off with 'Music Play,' an easy-breezy synth-string, electric piano, and horn-laden affair. Swirling percussion and soaring falsettos take us home on 'Never Dance,'but don't get it twisted: with Señor Bacardi at the controls, dance you WILL!

London/Lisbon label Release/Sustain start the year as they mean to go on. Presenting a 4 track various artists 12'' titled _Nightfall and Other Stories_. The record is comprised of 4 artists the Label regard as legends of that deeper dance floor sound. Opening proceedings on A1 is *Dekmantel* mainstay *Vakula*. A regular at the Release/Sustain 'Conclave' parties and part of the RS family His offering, _809,_ is a percussive drum tool trip of a track, with sporadic raw percussion shooting shining across a positively minimalist backing. For A2, we see Italian stalwart of underground dance music, *L.I.E.S* & *Crème Organization* regular, *Simoncino*. Obscure sample work, and a repeating line 'i can use a friend', twist and turn over rugged, thumping, functional drums and bass. Simoncino at his best! Furthering the quality of this standout 12'' is Chicago house music pioneer, and *Dance Mania* alumini *Vincent Floyd*. Rich in melody and familiar classic house sounds, Reggie's soft jacking house sound bring a silky smooth, North American touch to a previously rugged, European 12 slab of wax. Rounding things off we have *Clone*, *Prime Numbers* & *Deep Explorer* badman, *Reggie Dokes*. A cut riddled with percussive and quirky undertones Enjoy!

An object resists changing its state of motion with inertia. What pushes back must then be even more vigorous in order to create a uid movement. An example of the force that embodies this dynamic can be found clearly on the appropriately titled Inertia, Aiken's much anticipated return to Chronicle. The Spanish artist has been spending years honing his craft, focusing on sharp, distinct sounds that create a pure sense of kinetic energy. The title track of
the EP bolsters a erce disarray of carefully (de)constructed atonal synthwork and a rhythm section that is set to detonate. It is then followed by 'Axial', a track that stays as true to modular miscalculations as it does to stripped down techno, combining both in a subliminal cessation of sanity. However Aiken isn't done there. He continues with 'Magnetism', which throws a brick in the glass of conventionality with its earth-shaking layers of textured momentum. Phased pads then wash over 'Soul Drama', bringing the entire experience

to an emotionally laced denouement. After the potency of his last record on Chronicle as well as his releases on imprints such as his own label Timeline and the Spanish powerhouse Semantica, Inertia marks a de nitive step forward for an already exceptionally de ned artist.

Repress

After last years slick selection for the series from MCDE, Young Marco steps up with a great set of obscurities. Top Tip!
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Born Marco Sterk, he certainly doesn't come from a standard DJ background. A former skate rat who grew up loving American post-hardcore and '90s hip-hop as much as early Warp Records, he's been affiliated over the years with Amsterdam institutions such as Rush Hour, Red Light Records (where you'll find him most weekdays!) and, of course, Dekmantel itself. Still, there's no question that he's always followed his own path, even during the years that playing his favorite records meant that he was occasionally clearing dancefloors.

Things are different these days, of course, as Sterk now regularly plays around the globe and has been widely hailed not just for his DJ talents, but also for his digging prowess and uncanny ability to pluck jams out of genres, eras and geographies that even veteran DJs will often ignore.

Still, Marco's entry in the Selectors series isn't some soulless collection of 'Holy Grail' rarities. 'Where's the fun in that' he explains. 'Anybody with an internet connection can check what flavor-of-the-month records are in demand.'

Just like the first Selectors compilation, this is not a mix CD, but a collection of hand-picked, unmixed tracks that Sterk has personally chosen from his own vinyl archives. Moreover, Marco has put together a collection of tracks that represent not only how he plays music, but also how he makes music himself. The songs here are melodic, electronic and bound together by a refreshing sense of naiveté. Nothing sounds overly calculated; the tunes here span several decades and include dollar-bin records, avant-garde records, club records and yes, a few things that collector types have likely been looking to get their hands on. It's not meant to be a grand statement, as Marco would rather provide an honest snapshot of his musical tastes and share a few of his favorite tracks and artists in the proc